What’s happening?
Family and friends of 18-year-old Donnell Rochester gathered outside of the Baltimore City Police Department headquarters on Tuesday to protest the fatal shooting of the Black teenager, reports Lea Skene for The Baltimore Sun. Rochester was shot by a police officer on Feb. 19 after allegedly driving away and accelerating toward an officer as officials tried to detain him for a warrant regarding a missed court date.
What’s the family’s stance on the incident?
After viewing police body-worn camera footage, Rochester’s family assert the officers unjustly killed him over a missed court date and are demanding criminal charges against the officers who opened fire.
“The police, they treat people like they’re not human,” Kevin Jenkins, a longtime friend of Rochester, told The Sun. “His story needs to be heard because it’s not just him — it’s Freddie Gray … and all the others. This is part of a trend.”
Anything else I should know?
The officers who were involved in the shooting are placed on leave while the Maryland Attorney General’s Office and Baltimore City Police Department investigate the incident.
You can read more here.
